Regularly scheduled cholesterol screenings important

Healthy living is compressed of many factors in one’s life. These factors can range from doctor visits, screenings, healthy eating, physical activity and much more. However, one aspect of health in our bodies that we would like to talk about today is cholesterol.

Cholesterol is the waxy substance needed in your body to make hormones and digest fats. Naturally, our body produces all the cholesterol we need (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018), although we can also get cholesterol from eating certain foods.

An overconsumption of cholesterol, also known as high cholesterol, can lead to plague build-up in the arteries, increasing one’s risk for heart disease and stroke.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2018) reports, “More than one in five youths ages six to 19 have an unhealthy cholesterol reading, and 95 million U.S. adults age 20 or older have high cholesterol.”

It (the CDC) also recommend cholesterol testing should be done:

• Once between ages 9 and 11 (before puberty).

• Once between age 17 and 21 (after puberty).

• Every four to six years in adulthood.

In addition to getting regularly scheduled cholesterol screenings, there are also precautions that one can take. Those steps include:

• Eating healthy foods.

• Becoming physical activity: Engaging in at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week (Center for Disease Control and Prevention).

• Don’t smoke: Smoking is known for damaging the one’s blood vessels, and can increase the risk for heart disease and stroke.

Visit www.extension.purdue.edu/putnam or contact the local Purdue Extension Office by calling 653-8411 for more information regarding this week’s column topic or to RSVP for upcoming events. It is always best to call first to assure items are ready when you arrive and to RSVP for programs. While many publications are free, some do have a fee.

Upcoming Events

Sept. 20 – Buy Sell Agreements Webinar, noon, RSVP at https://ag.purdue.edu/Extension/wia/Pages/webinars.aspx

Sept. 24-28 -- Indiana College Go Week visit learnmoreindiana.org

Oct. 8 -- Extension Office closed for Columbus Day (county holiday).

Oct. 7-13 -- National 4-H Week.